Clutch plates such as those used in automatic transmissions and Belleville springs or washers are well known. Belleville springs and the like, and at least some clutch plates are annular rings with a tapered or generally frustoconical shape. These parts have been formed by stamping or otherwise forming a flat, annular disk of spring steel into its final, tapered or frustoconical shape, heating the stamped part to an elevated temperature typically between about 1550.degree. F. to 1600.degree. F. and then subsequently immersing it into a quenching medium such as a molten salt bath at about 600.degree. F. to heat treat the part. The part is unrestrained during the heating and quenching and becomes warped during the heat treating process. Subsequently the warped part must be reformed into the desired shape by clamping typically on a mandrel while being tempered to stress relieve and improve the metallurgical properties of the steel. The added steps to reform the part after the heating and quenching process is undesirable, time consuming and costly but necessary due to the deformation of the part which occurs upon heating and quenching.